i hope you will join us for abc 7 news later today at 4:00. breaking news as we come on the air. tornado watches and severe storms from florida to new york. sirens blaring in the south with at least 35 reported tornadoes in ten states. a deadly tornado touching down in florida. at least two people killed. widespread damage reported across the south. homes destroyed. and dangerous thunderstorms tonight from d.c. to philadelphia to new york city. winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour. at least 50 million people in the storm zone. ginger zee tracking it all. gas prices at a 40-year high. president biden under pressure to slow inflation and lower energy costs. the president announcing he's tapping into the nation's strategic oil reserve with the largest ever release. up to 180 million barrels over the next six months.

how long will it take to see gas prices drop? rebecca jarvis standing by. overseas tonight, russian forces leaving chernobyl, returning control of the nuclew russian soldiers reportedly get sick. amid new images of fighting, president biden today suggesting vladimir putin is now self-isolating, saying there is no clear evidence he's pulling troops from kyiv. james longman in the capital, when a missile strike hits a residential neighborhood behind him. breaking news tonight. details coming in about a deadly middle school shooting in south carolina. a 12-year-old student shot and killed. other children told to hide under their desks. the abc news exclusive. for the first time, we're hearing from the oscars producer about the moment he says police wanted to arrest will smith for assaulting chris rock on stage. how chris rock responded and reports tonight academy officials have now spoken to will smith. former president trump's son-in-law, jared kushner, appearing before the january 6th committee today.

kushner becoming the first trump family member and highest ranking former official from the trump white house, to testify before the panel. jonathan karl standing by. and america strong. the surprise in the elementary school hallway for a beloved custodian from ukraine. good evening and it's great to have you with us on a thursday night. i'm whit johnson, in for david. a lot to cover tonight, including president biden's major move to address soaring gas prices, tapping into the nation's strategic oil reserve. and what he said about vladimir putin today and the war in ukraine. but we start here with the severe weather threat as we come on the air, 50 million people under weather alerts from the mid-atlantic to the northeast. damaging winds up to 70 miles per hour and tornado watches for multiple states. deadly storms bringing 35

reported tornadoes across ten states in the past 24 hours. west of tallahassee here, a reported pre-dawn tornado killing at least two people there, injuring three more. daybreak revealing a trail of destruction. near lafayette, louisiana, body camera video showing an officer racing to rescue drivers from a multicar accident. mississippi hammered overnight. search and rescue teams checking for victims near hattiesburg after reports of an elderly woman trapped inside. and the storm blowing across penn state this afternoon. those giant cranes spinning in the wind. abc's ginger zee was in jackson, mississippi, when the storm hit there. she now joins us from outside new york city. and ginger, what can we expect throughout the night? >> reporter: yes, that long line of storms is crossing scranton right now. it has had imbedded severe thunderstorm warnings in it and we should see it here across the i-95 corridor between two to three hours from now. let's look at the maps.

severe thunderstorm watches from albany back to washington, d.c. virginia, maryland, and north carolina have existing or the nay doef watches. and we have seen spinups in north carolina and virginia, so, take that seriously yet tonight. a watch means prepare now. when you get a warning, you have to take shelter immediately to get out of the path of that storm. so, it will cross over queens and long island into the 10:00 hour and by the time this thing all moves on, whit, we say hello again to winter. those are snow squalls developing and enhanced by lake effect. >> and a reminder for people to stay inside, take shelter in the storm zone. ginger, thank you. now to that major announcement by president biden with gas prices at the highest level in years. the president ordering the release of 180 million barrels of oil from the nation's emergency supply. a record 1 million barrels per day for six months. predicting the painful price at the pump will go down fairly significantly, but still questions about how soon struggling americans could feel some relief. here's abc's chief business and

economics correspondent rebecca jarvis. >> reporter: tonight, with gasoline near record highs, president biden promising to lower prices with the largest ever release of oil from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve. 1 million barrels a day for the next six months, up to 180 million barrels total. >> there isn't enough supply. and the bottom line is, if we want lower gas prices, we need to have more oil supply right now. >> reporter: the additional supplies accounting for about 5% of america's daily consumption. analysts blame forces like the pandemic and political uncertainty for a drop in u.s. oil production in recent years. >> i'm calling for a "use it or lose it" policy. congress should make companies pay fees on wells on federal leases they haven't used for years. >> reporter: the national average now $4.23, the price of a gallon of gas up $1.36 from a year ago, and up more than 60 cents in just the last month since russia invaded ukraine.

>> we have seen some measure of relief in the last couple of weeks. oil prices have backed off of the high. as a result of the spr announcement today, the downturn could accelerate and the national average could fall back under $4 a gallon, as long as nothing changes over the next three weeks. >> reporter: in california, where gas is now $5.90 a gallon, the most expensive in the nation, relief can't come soon enough. >> this is insane. what do they think we are, all rockefellers? >> reporter: sergio says it's getting difficult to fill up his company's trucks. >> you look at $600 to fill up that truck. it's all going up and up. when is it going to stop? >> and that's exactly what people want to know. let's bring in rebecca jarvis. and give us a sense how long it could take for americans to feel some ref leaf at the pump and how much could prices fall? >> reporter: well, whit, we should start to see this fairly quickly, as oil prices, which are the main driver of what you pay at the pump, have also been falling on this news.

but analysts warn that pripss might not get much farther below $4 a gallon, that this measure was really intended and will really help to keep primss from getting to that $5 a gallon level. whit? >> all right, rebecca, thank you. now to those new developments in the war in ukraine, and tonight, russian forces are leaving chernobyl, returning control of the nuclear power plant back to ukraine. some of their soldistingsi russiaocusing its brutal assault on mariupol. russian state medi, tank firing randomly into a neighborhood. and though russia said they were pulling back from kyiv, abc's jame was there when the city came under fire. >> reporter: tonight, russia abandoning control of chernobyl. ukraine's state nuclear company confirms that troops have left, and also saying the russians have dug trenches in the most contaminated part of the exclusion zone, receiving significant doses of radiation. there are even unconfirmed reports of russian troops being

treated for radiation sickness in belarus. and as they pull back, more strikes come in. as i was reporting live from kyiv this morning, the sound of an incoming missile -- and then it hit. smoke rising from the capital. we just heard an enormous explosion here towards the north of where we're standing. and you can see there, deep, dark smoke rising into the -- into the sky. now, we're not sure what's been hit. later in the evening, another strike on the same area. no word yet on what the target was, but this was very close to the city center. another strike near kharkiv, this time on a gas pipeline, leaving multiple fires burning. this verified video circulating online shows a crater in the ground ablaze. russians seen here firing indiscriminately into building in a mariupol neighborhood. verified video circulated online by a journalist iist embedded

the russian military show the intense fighting where 45 buses were sent to evacuate civilians. this village outside chernihiv now back under ukrainian control. residents forced to leave. a russian tank on fire. and fighting continues. and this is what it leaves behind in a recently liberated area north of kyiv, graphic video shows the bodies of fallen russian soldiers on the ground and in the brush. and and look at this damage. the village decimated. but the ground invasion largely in disarray. the white house believes putin has been misinformed and misled by his own generals. >> not saying this with a certainty. he seems to be self-isolating and there's some indication that he has fired or put under house arrest some of his advisers. >> reporter: a top british spy chief with this devastating assessment. >> we've seen russian soldiers, short of weapons and morale, refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment, and even accidentally shooting downtheir own aircraft. >> reporter: it's estimated that some 10,000 russian soldiers have been killed so far, but russia hides the truth of this

war from its own people. so, a hotline at a secret location in kyiv has been set up so russian families can get news of their loved ones. what it's like for you though? how must you feel having to deliver this very, very serious news to your enemy? it must be difficult for you to kind of reconcile that, right? "you know, at first, it was hard," she tells me. "even now, when i speak about it, tears come. ". >> reporter: i can see she's getting emotional about it. but she says she knows she's doing important work. >> amazing, those russian families just trying to get the truth. james longman with us again from kyiv tonight. and james, russian president vladimir putin signed a decree to add conscripts to the russian military today. but the creme lunn insists the callup has nothing to do with the war in ukraine? >> reporter: well, whit, the

draft does happen twice a year when men aged between 18 and 27 get called up to serve in the russian military for a year. there is no official mention of ukraine this time, but we do know conscripts are fighting here and a lot of young men have opinion leaving russia to avoid joining them. whit? >> james, thank you. also tonight, the ukrainian refugee crisis is reaching america's shores. more and more people fleeing the violence are arriving at border crossings in mexico. whole families camping out at the port of entry in tijuana, asking for asylum. some are being allowed to cross under an exemption in the law. abc's will carr is at the border tonight. >> reporter: tonight, ukrainian families flooding the border of the united states. kids, bags, and fatigued faces all packing in on this block in tijuana. some wedged into this bus station. others camping in cold, rainy conditions. >> every day, it's more and more and more.

there's so many babies, pregnant woman, babies who need medicine. >> reporter: with president biden pledging to allow up to 100,000 ukrainians into the u.s., the numbers in tijuana growing exponentially. wednesday, there were roughly 200 ukranians here. today, more than 600. all hoping to hear their names called off this list. alena zhutnyk's family arriving two days ago. her kids drawing ukrainian flags on the mexican sidewalk while they wait. how hard has this been on you? "emotionally, it's very hard," she tells me. "we haven't been bathing. it's a very hard situation." ukrainians have been able to enter the u.s. under an exemption to title 42, a federal policy that's put a halt to asylum requests at the border because of the pandemic. now, there are more people showing up than can be processed. tonight, with this bus station and block packed with ukrainians, there are still far more migrants from other countries here in tijuana. and because of title 42, the city's shelters are jam-packed,

and that's a big concern, because everybody believes that this camp is only going to get bigger. whit? >> the war in ukraine now a global crisis. clear to see there. will, thank you. now, to that abc news exclusive. the producer of the oscars, will packer, speaking out for the first time about what happened after that infamous slap. and tonight, what comedian chris rock told an emotional crowd at his first performance since the incident. here's abc's kayna whitworth. >> oh, wow! >> reporter: tonight, one of the producers of the oscars revealing exclusively to abc news exactly what happened behind the scenes moments after will smith slapped chris rock on stage for making a joke about his wife, jada. will packer, who lead the show's first all black production team that night, speaking exclusively to t.j. holmes, saying the lapd came to his office and spoke to rock. >> they were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment. they said we will go get him.

we are prepared. we're prepared to get him right now. you can press charges, we can arrest him. you have -- they were laying out the options. and as they were talking, chris was -- he was being very dismissive of those options. he was like, no, no, no, i'm fine. and even to the point where i said, rock, let them finish. the lapd officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, you know, would you like us to take any action? and he said no. he said no. >> reporter: packer telling abc news he did not speak to will smith directly at all the night of the oscars. in boston last night, rock addressing the incident publicly for the first time before a soldout audience. fans giving him a standing ovation. >> how was your weekend? >> reporter: in video shot from the upper balcony, the comedian telling the crowd he has not prepared any jokes about the slap. >> i don't have, like, a bunch

of [ bleep ] about what happe happened. i'm still kind of processing what happened. so -- at some point i'll talk about this [ bleep ]? >> reporter: and whit, abc news now the working to confirm some reporting from variety that will smith had a meeting earlier this week with key members from the acadny in which he apologized again. what we do know is that will smith will receive a 15 days notice before an official vote is taken on his violation. whit? >> kayna, thank you. and be sure to tune into "gma" in the morning for much more of t.j.'s exclusive interview with will packer. we move on to washington now, and new developments in the investigation of the capitol riot. jared kushner testifying before the january 6th committee. and it comes as we're learning the justice department is expanding its own investigation, now looking into the planning and the efforts to interfere with certification of the election for joe biden.

here's abc's chief washington correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: today, jared kushner became the first member of the trump family to be questioned by the january 6th committee. kushner was a top trump adviser, but on january 6th, he was traveling from saudi arabia and didn't even go to the white house when he landed in d.c. that afternoon, telling one republic congressman back then, according to a source, "we'll just get in a fight if i go over there." >> if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. >> reporter: the rally before the riot, and its organizers, are also now part of an expanding investigation by the justice department. abc news has learned federal prosecutors are now looking beyond the rioters who stormed the capitol, seeking information, according to a subpoena reviewed by abc, quote, relating to the participation and/or coordination of any member, employee or agent of the executive branch of the legislative branch in the oxe o inuee the certification of

that could inceople trump'snn circle andhe former president one member o committe meeting as really helpful. of course, hopes soon to speak to eye have a can trump who, unlike kushner, was at the white house with her father on january 6th. whit? >> jon, thank you. when we come back tonight, late details about a deadly school shooting. a 12-year-old student shot and killed what authorities are now saying about the suspect. and the popular food being recalled in 18 states. we'll tell you why. or waiting for the 7:12 bus... or sunday afternoon in the produce aisle. these moments may not seem remarkable. but at pfizer, protecting the regular routine, and everyday drives us to reach for exceptional. working to impact hundreds of millions of lives...

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custodian from ukraine. she's worked there for 21 years. and when the teachers, students and parents heard mrs. lana has dozens of family members back i national flower of ukraine. the messages, "peace for ukraine," "hope for ukraine," "we love you, mrs. lana." and then the surprise. >> good morning, mrs. lana. >> reporter: walking in, she sees it. the ukrainian flag. >> thank you, thank you. >> reporter: the sunflowers. >> thank you, thank you. i really appreciate -- >> reporter: down the hall -- it keeps going. >> wow, this is so nice. thank you, thank you, thank you. >> so many people stayed after school -- >> i really do appreciate it. >> of course, of course. we support you, lana. we love you. >> thank you.

>> reporter: tonight, mrs. lana on that moment. >> i feel was really, really forced speechless. i don't know what to say. hugs, prayers from everybody. i've really, really appreciate for everybody what they done for me. >> reporter: and her school with a special message for her. >> we love you, mrs. lana. >> we love you, mrs. lana. >> way to go, oak hill elementary. touching all of us tonight. thanks so much for watching. i'm whit johnson in new york. have a great night.

>> this was awful and devastating. >> it was just chaos. >> pretty much. the project took longer than planned and cost a lot more money and is finally wrapping up. >> plus, good news for vendors still struggling to pay and avoid being evicted. >> that is where we begin today to stay in their homes a extended protections. karina nova joins us with more. karina: the extension would and landlords from eviction proceedings. this applies to renters waiting for assistance. this could prevent thousands of

people from losing their homes. this is also meant to help landlords who in some cases have not received rent payments for several months to a year. abc 7 has done multiple stories on families who have been waiting to receive government funding fervent. with the passing of this new state law, camilla miller and her six kids cannot be evicted while their application is pending. they have an waiting for three months for help, but some local housing advocates say this is a temporary fix. corey smith with the housing acts or -- housing action coalition says we should not lose sight of the bigger and very well known issue of a major lack of housing in the bay area. >> generally speaking, the real problem we have is the number of people that want to live here and if we are actually serious about solving the region's affordability and